Pierre Atepa Goudiaby is responsible for the design of some of Africa's most stunning buildings. David Hecht reports on a man whose work attracts controversy as well as admiring glances.
Welcome to Pierre Goudiaby's Africa of tomorrow. " In our buildings we use the latest technologies from all over the world," he says from his Dakar headquarters, a giant pyramid with his plush office at the summit. " But we make them look African and feel African."
The younger generation is tired of corrugated roofs," he says. " Development workers have always told us to think small and think grassroots so that we Africans now have a complex that we are not entitled to the best. My buildings are cure for that complex."
African textiles are one of his inspirations. " My mother used to sell handmade cloth and I reflect those patterns in all my buildings." But he does not glorify African traditions. " We try to keep a balance. It's about using what's best in whatever happened before. But never going backwards."
That's also the story of Goudiaby's life. He comes from the far-flung village of Baila, in Senegal's southern Casamance region, and was raised in the Medina, Dakar's tough inner-city slum. Now, at 50, he lives in the city's elite Fann suburb, in a huge mansion overlooking the ocean with five cars and a large family. He has become not only one of Africa's top architects but a power- broker in the region and friend and advisor to score of African leaders.
Welcome to Pierre Goudiaby's Africa of tomorrow. " In our buildings we use the latest technologies from all over the world," he says from his Dakar headquarters, a giant pyramid with his plush office at the summit. " But we make them look African and feel African."
The younger generation is tired of corrugated roofs," he says. " Development workers have always told us to think small and think grassroots so that we Africans now have a complex that we are not entitled to the best. My buildings are cure for that complex."
African textiles are one of his inspirations. " My mother used to sell handmade cloth and I reflect those patterns in all my buildings." But he does not glorify African traditions. " We try to keep a balance. It's about using what's best in whatever happened before. But never going backwards."
That's also the story of Goudiaby's life. He comes from the far-flung village of Baila, in Senegal's southern Casamance region, and was raised in the Medina, Dakar's tough inner-city slum. Now, at 50, he lives in the city's elite Fann suburb, in a huge mansion overlooking the ocean with five cars and a large family. He has become not only one of Africa's top architects but a power- broker in the region and friend and advisor to score of African leaders.
Goudiaby's 25-trorey West Africa Central Bank in Dakar is modeled on the sacred baobab tree, where village elders traditionally go to discuss important matters.
The ECOWAS headquarters in Togo is carved out in the middle and has a giant upside-down calabash sitting next to it as the conference hall.
Goudiaby's futuristic palace, monuments and grand public buildings can be seen in towns and cities all over Western and Central Africa.
The oldest is Mobutu Sese Seko, whom he once tried to push into a river full of crocodiles. " We were just stolling along. I couldn't resist it," he said. " The bodyguards got upset but afterwards we all laughed about it from then on Mobutu took me more seriously."
The ECOWAS headquarters in Togo is carved out in the middle and has a giant upside-down calabash sitting next to it as the conference hall.
Goudiaby's futuristic palace, monuments and grand public buildings can be seen in towns and cities all over Western and Central Africa.
The oldest is Mobutu Sese Seko, whom he once tried to push into a river full of crocodiles. " We were just stolling along. I couldn't resist it," he said. " The bodyguards got upset but afterwards we all laughed about it from then on Mobutu took me more seriously."
The architect's first love was acting, and as a boy he led a theater troupe. But his parents said it was not a proper profession. " And then I realized that with architecture I could turn my dreams into reality."
His first major buildings were banks. "I wanted customers to see a vision of Africa in these buildings that would make them say: ' this is where I want to put my money ' ." Many of the structures have columns, which are not usually thought of as African. "But," says Goudiaby, "The Romans stole ideas from the Greeks, the Americans stole from the Europeans. Now it's our turn. I use whatever I want and make it African."
Recently, he's been busy in The Gambia, a country that until President Yayah Jammeh's military takeover in 1994 didn't have a structure taller than four storeys. Now his new 250- bed hospital in the bush town of Farafenni might be mistaken for Africa's first space station, while the international airport which opened in August looks like it could fly itself.
His first major buildings were banks. "I wanted customers to see a vision of Africa in these buildings that would make them say: ' this is where I want to put my money ' ." Many of the structures have columns, which are not usually thought of as African. "But," says Goudiaby, "The Romans stole ideas from the Greeks, the Americans stole from the Europeans. Now it's our turn. I use whatever I want and make it African."
Recently, he's been busy in The Gambia, a country that until President Yayah Jammeh's military takeover in 1994 didn't have a structure taller than four storeys. Now his new 250- bed hospital in the bush town of Farafenni might be mistaken for Africa's first space station, while the international airport which opened in August looks like it could fly itself.
Utopias are Goudiaby's obsession. Two, he says, are currently being constructed in Equatorial Guinea - in Malabo and Bata. Another is taking shape in Conakry, Guinea and there are two more but he would not disclose their locations."Unfortunately I am unable to talk about my grandest schemes."
But it's hard to find the money to build utopias in the poorest countries on earth...
But it's hard to find the money to build utopias in the poorest countries on earth...
Most impressive is a huge ten-storey arch built to mark the second anniversary of the coup. It has eight Doric columns more massive than any that the ancient Greeks constructed. They are hollow and have two lifts inside to transport visitors to an observation deck which is shaped like an African gourd. From the deck there is a spectacular view below of larger-than-life bronze sculptures which line the road to the arch of elders and musicians (created by Goudiaby's brother, Tony Goudiaby). Directly in front of the monument is an even bigger statue - a Gambian soldier in the act of rescuing an African child (although some disgruntled Gambian have suggested that the child is in fact being kidnapped). More of the Goudiaby's buildings are on the drawing board for The Gambia, including a space-age television station, a major university and Bruscubi, a utopian city for 100,000 inhabitants, one-tenth of the country's total population.
Next to Goudiaby's pyramid headquarters is his archive where thousands of architectural drawings lie on shelves gathering dust. "It is so sad," says Moussa N'Dour, whose job is to keep track of them all. "Goudiaby has worked so hard to design these wonders and then there is a coup d'etat or something and they never get built".
But critics say they should not be built. Western donors have singled out 'Goudiaby-type development' saying it overextends Africa. "You have to learn to walk before you can run," said one World Bank representative in Dakar.
But critics say they should not be built. Western donors have singled out 'Goudiaby-type development' saying it overextends Africa. "You have to learn to walk before you can run," said one World Bank representative in Dakar.
One of the Goudiaby's most celebrated buildings, Senegal's Central Bank, is situated next to the Medina, the very slum where Goudiaby grew up. Two massive flying buttresses of tinted glass and white glazed tiles rise 20 storeys to form a giant futuristic sailing ship.
Locals are divided over its worth. "This gives us something to look up to," said one young man walking by. But others say the money would have been better spent on health and education.
Locals are divided over its worth. "This gives us something to look up to," said one young man walking by. But others say the money would have been better spent on health and education.
"Wrong," says Goudiaby. "When they claim, 'Hey, you folks have to use local materials', they still think we should live in mud houses." He looks at how the United States has developed. "Many Americans are poor and yet America is the richest country in the world. Why? Because they try to live out their fantasies with skyscrapers and Disneyland. People there know that if they work hard they can have anything. It should be the same here." Indeed Goudiaby was recently invited to address the Us Congress on how the United States and Africa could work better together.
"They are just envious," says Goudiaby. "And that's a good thing. You have to have an elite. It's very important to put in people's minds that they too can have what we have if only they fight for it."
David Hecht reports for the BBC from Senegal
